Silky-Coconut Pumpkin Soup (Keg Bouad Mak Fak Kham)

Serve this lush, smooth soup as part of an Asian or Western meal. Large wedges of pumpkin with a pale gray-green skin are sold in Southeast Asian groceries and in Caribbean produce markets. Pick out the pumpkin with the
reddest flesh. You can also use an orange "pie pumpkin."

Preparation

In a heavy skillet, or on a charcoal or gas grill, dry-roast or grill the shallots, turning occasionally until softened and blackened. Peel, cut the shallots lengthwise in half, and set aside.

Peel the pumpkin and clean off any seeds. Cut into small 1/2-inch cubes. You should have 4 1/2 to 5 cups cubed pumpkin.

Place the coconut milk, broth, pumpkin cubes, shallots, and coriander leaves in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the salt and simmer over medium heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for salt and add a little more fish sauce if you wish. (The soup can be served immediately, but has even more flavor if left to stand for up to an hour. Reheat just before serving.)

Serve from a large soup bowl or in individual bowls. Grind black pepper over generously, and, if you wish, garnish with a sprinkling of minced scallion greens. Leftovers freeze very well.

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Recent Review

Soooo interesting! Served it for my travel group (we're going to Turks and Caicos soon) and they all absolutely loved it. Like others, I added curry paste and lime juice, otherwise it was bland baby food. But with that bit of tweeting it became interesting and lush and silky and exotic. Everything I wanted to make a splash at my Caribbean party. Note: the secret to fish sauce: add it, step away from the pot while it stinks up and let it cook off a bit. It adds a lot of richness and flavor, so don't be afraid, just let it settle in. Also, I cheated with canned pumpkin puree cuz I was making a multi-course dinner.